


Across the Way

by SociallyAwkwardFox



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: 5+1 Things, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Dancer Vax, Flirting, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Illnesses, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-01
Updated: 2019-05-01
Packaged: 2020-02-10 16:22:10
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,573
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18663979
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SociallyAwkwardFox/pseuds/SociallyAwkwardFox
Summary: Five times Percy noticed Vax dancing in his bedroom and one time he was the one dancing.





	Across the Way

**Author's Note:**

> I'm only 25 episodes into Vox Machina, but I had to right something for these two!

Everything ached. From his head to his feet, he felt that bone deep aching that promised a rough night ahead of him. He'll toss and turn and never find the right spot to make it all go away. He'll settle for dull enough he can fall asleep, then wake up a few hours later to do it all over again. Maybe he’d be able to get a good enough night’s sleep he wouldn’t end up cranky in the morning.

Luckily, life granted him a little mercy after a truly hellish day dealing with people's shit. His roommate was nowhere to be seen, which meant she was either fast asleep or already out for the evening. Whatever the case, he didn't have to deal with her fussing all over him to try to make it better. He loved Kiki. He really did, but some days he just needed the silence and to stew in his own misery. Today happened to be one of those days.

After battling his janky bedroom door for entirely too long, he shoved his way into the room and leaned back against it to shut it once more. His head throbbed from the movement, so he stayed pressed against the door with his head tipped up to the ceiling. When did that stain show up or had it always been there, or had he chosen to ignore it?

With a heavy sigh, he shoved away from the door to dump his belongings on their designated chair for nights like these. He considered crawling straight into bed to be done with the day, but his skin felt sticky with sweat and germs from other people feeling the need to touch him. Cassie didn't seem to mind the constant handshaking and resting hands on people's arm. It didn't matter he'd been attending these functions for years, he hated it and he needed to wash it away or he wouldn't be able to stop thinking about it.

His feet dragged as he shuffled over to his dresser for a change of clothes, then to the bathroom. Steam filled the tiny room as the water heated up making it a little easier to strip out of his formalwear. The instant he got the last piece off, he stepped into the warm water. His muscles relaxed to the warmth and steady rhythm of the water beating against them with just enough pressure. The rest of the apartment might be shit, but they certainly got the showerhead right.

Unlike normal, he lingered under the spray for several long minutes after he finished rinsing the conditioner out of his hair. Once he turned the water off, his body would go back to aching and the breeze from the vent above him would send shivers down his spine. A few more minutes of blissful peace wouldn't hurt anyone. He really needed it tonight.

When his fingertips began to prune, he finally relented and twisted the knob off. The chill of the air conditioner had him moving faster than he would like to dry and dress causing the ache to set back in. Groaning miserably, he sat down on the edge of the tub to pull his socks on because his feet always got too cold and night. It probably had something to do with kicking his blanket off the bed in the middle of the night.

With his body sufficiently covered for a cold winter's night, he stood with a groan and trudged over to the sink so he could get to bed. As he brushed his teeth, he watched a drop of water fall from his hair and slide down the side of his cheek. He spent so long staring at it, his toothbrush clicked off after two minutes of sitting in the same spot. Rather than start the process over again, he lazily brushed the rest of his mouth and called it good enough.

Somehow, he managed to make it to his bed without face planting, which was something to be happy about. The mattress gave under his weight and squeaked in protest while he went about turning off the lamp, plugging in his phone and taking off his glasses. As predicted, it took him some time to find the right spot that would allow him to sleep for a few hours, then he shut his eyes. Sleep slowly started to settle over him. His breathing evened out, his mind shut down, his body went lax.

A stream of light smacked him awake just before he went under. He tried to ignore it, but it quickly became clear the light wouldn't be going away any time soon. When he cracked his eyes open, he found the source of the light to be the unit across from his. He couldn't remember the last time there'd been light in that unit. When did someone move in?

Not that it mattered. The unfortunate reality of the situation was he had to get up to close his curtains or he'd have to deal with the light for an indeterminate amount of time. Why did this kind of thing always happen after he got comfortable? Why couldn't they have turned on the lights a few minutes earlier?

Despite not wanting to, he forced himself out of bed to close the curtain-and stopped. They were dancing. Long hair whipping wildly through the air as they spun and jumped and twisted with a surprising amount of grace for one in the morning. They weren't dressed like they just returned from a night out like he’d expect them to be. Instead, they wore flannel pajamas. The kind that came in a set including pants and a button-up top that never fit right. In fact, the top slipped off their slender shoulders a few times, but that didn't deter them in the slightest. They kept dancing to some unknown song playing through their earbuds.

Suddenly, the door to their room bust open revealing an almost identical person. She wore an expression he was all too familiar with because Cassie always turned the righteous fury upon him when he pissed her off. After some elaborate gesturing that ended with her pointing out the window at him, the dancer turned to look directly into his eyes. Their face gave away nothing as they strode over to the window and opened it. They motioned for him to do the same, then patiently waited as he hesitantly followed their command.

“Hello there, handsome. What are you doing up so late?” A smooth tenor with a hint of an accent he didn't recognize cut through the quiet of the night. “I wasn't expecting an audience.”

“I got in late. I was trying to sleep.”

“What's keeping you awake?”

“The light. Do you make a habit of doing that? It just seems a bit late to be dancing.”

“It's never too late for dancing. Haven't you heard of dancing the night away?”

“Of course, but I didn't think anyone took that so literally. So, it's safe to say this will be a nightly occurrence?”

A surprised laugh came from the man across from him as he took a seat on the windowsill with his legs hanging out. “I wouldn't go that far, but you might want to invest in some thick curtains. My sister always tells me that my nightly habits are the worst thing about me, which is really saying something because she complains about a lot of things I do.”

“I'll be sure to do that.”

“Good. I wouldn't want to ruin your beauty sleep.”

“Does that mean you're done for the night?”

“Well, since you asked so nicely, I suppose I can do something considered reasonable for this hour, like reading.”

“I'm fairly certain most people would say sleep, not reading.”

“How boring.” Ebony black hair billowed in the soft breeze, until the man leaned back to keep it from getting in his face. “I'm Vax.”

“I'm Percival Fredrickstein von Musel Klossowski de Rolo III.”

“I think I'll just call you Percy.”

“Most people do.”

“Well, we can't have that. How about Freddy?

The unexpected nickname caused his cheeks to warm as a blush he hoped wasn't visible spread. “I've never been called that before, but I suppose I can allow it. It's much better than the nicknames my sister gave me when we were children.”

“Now you have me intrigued.”

“I'd really rather not say what she called me. That's a bit too embarrassing to tell someone I just met.”

“Fine. I'll get it out of you at some point.”

“Feel free to try.”

“That sounds like a challenge. I love a good challenge.”

“Good challenge is overstating it a bit.” Despite wanting to hold it back, a yawn forced its way out of him almost sending him sideways in the process.

“I think someone needs to call it a night. We wouldn't want you to fall over and knock yourself unconscious.”

“You make a good point. It was nice meeting you, Vax. Have a good night and try not to stay up too late.”

“Good night, Freddy.”

* * *

 

A wonderful aroma rose from the pot of some rice concoction Keyleth stirred absentmindedly as she told him about her day. It wasn't often their schedules lined up so they could enjoy an evening in together, but when they did, they always made the most of it. Unlike most of their nights in, this one wasn't planned out weeks in advance because Keyleth originally had a conference scheduled that would keep her late. His day brightened upon receiving her text to pick up that wine they liked from the liquor store on his way home and a couple of face masks if it wasn't too much trouble. In his excitement, he might have gotten more than just a few face masks, but no one other than Keyleth needed to know that.

“What about you? Has anything new been going on in your life?”

“Same old, same old. I don't exactly have time to have anything new going on. Between research and work and Whitestone, I'm surprised I can sleep.”

“If you or Cassie ever need help, you know you can ask me. The last thing I want is you to stress yourself out like you did a couple years ago. I've never been more terrified in my life.”

“That won't ever happen again. I promise.”

“Good!” After giving the pot one last stir, Keyleth flicked off the burner and reached for the two bowls on the counter. “I'll dish this out. You pour the wine. Did you pick something out for us to watch?”

“Didn't we agree that the person that cooks gets to decide what we watch?”

“I don't remember that.”

“Liar.”

Keyleth smiled innocently at him, then turned her attention back to filling the bowls. “Whatever you want is fine. Maybe go with a TV show. Wasn't there a new Netflix show you mentioned the other week?”

“There's always a new show on Netflix.”

Despite the wine glasses in hand, he managed to dodge out of the way of the towel Keyleth threw at his head. Before she could throw another, he hurried into the living room to put their glasses down and put something on for them to watch. By the time Keyleth entered, he was curled up in his corner of the couch with his wine glass balanced on the arm. He gladly accepted the bowl from her, then waited for her to get settled before starting the show.

“What is this?”

“She-Ra. My sister loved her growing up. She wouldn't stop talking about this when Netflix announced it. I think you'll enjoy her.”

“You didn't promise Cassie you'd watch this with her, did you?”

“Even if I had, she binged the whole season as soon as it came out, so I either would've seen it by now or been told she didn't want to wait for me.”

“That-” A sudden blast of loud music nearly caused him to knock over his glass and Keyleth to drop her bowl. “What was that?”

“I have an idea. I'll be back in a second.”

After taking another bite of food, he placed it on the coffee table on his way around it to his bedroom. When he pushed back his recently purchased curtains, he found the window across from his wide open. Vax stood off to the side messing with something he couldn't see, but he guessed was responsible for the noise. Unlike last time he saw him, he wore a pair of tight leggings, a baggy t-shirt tied at the waist and his hair pulled back in a bun.

While Vax continued to mess with the object, he quietly opened his own window and took a seat on the windowsill. The beginnings of winter nipped at his skin, but he couldn't be bothered to retrieve one of his sweaters. He didn't plan on taking longer than a few minutes to talk to the man across from him about the possibility of a repeat blast.

Brown eyes went wide upon noticing him, then quickly softened as a smirk appeared on his face as he made way to the window. “Hello there, Freddy. What can I help you with tonight?”

“I've got a quick question for you. If you have the time to answer, that is.”

“Does it look like I have pressing matters?”

“You know what they say about assuming.”

“Fair enough.” Vax moved to mirror his position on the windowsill before continuing. “What question do you have for me?”

“Should we expect more loud noises coming from your room? I'd like to be more prepared next time.”

“Ah, apologies. It seems the damn thing broke in the move. You won't have to worry about that happening again. I'm going to chunk the piece of shit.”

“How about I take a look at it before you resort to tossing it?”

“Really?”

The mix of curiosity and hope in Vax's voice had him pressing on despite the building embarrassment at his blunt behavior. “I don't make any promises, but I've fixed my fair share of broken electronics.”

“A chance of saving it is better than nothing. Are you sure it won't be any trouble? I wouldn't want to add an unnecessary item on your to-do list.”

“It's really no trouble at all. Pass it over.”

After a moment of hesitation, Vax took him up on his offer. “Thank you for doing this, Freddy.”

“Don't mention it. I'd hate for you to not be able to dance the night away.”

“If you wanted to watch, all you had to do was ask.”

“I'll keep that in mind.”

“Is that all you'll keep in mind?” His body moved so smoothly it didn't seem possible for someone to be that graceful as he rolled his body tantalizingly slow. “Are you alright? You're looking a bit feverish.”

“More than alright. Have fun with your dancing. I need to get back or my roommate will assume the worst. I'll have this back to you as soon as I can.”

“It's been nice talking to you again. Feel free to interrupt me whenever you'd like. I really don't mind.”

“Good to know.”

* * *

 

“Why is it so dark in here?” Without waiting for an answer, Cassie strode over to the curtains to open them up. “Much better. Why do you have those? I've been suggesting them for years and you always insisted they were unnecessary.”

“New neighbor. They're fond of keeping their window open late at night and you know those blinds are useless.”

“A new neighbor, and you haven't told me about them. How strange.”

“Strange because…”

“I was complaining about my new neighbor last week and you didn't say anything.”

“He's not annoying.”

“So, you've talked to him?”

He took a cautious seat next to his sister on the bed, then leaned back against the headboard with his arms crossed over his chest. “Does that matter?”

“You never talked to your old neighbors.”

“We exchanged the mandatory pleasantries, but they were hardly around enough to strike up a conversation. It's not like I went out of my way to avoid them at all costs.”

“That doesn't sound right. You hate human interaction. You'd rather be in your workshop playing with your tools than spending time with people.”

“Shut up. People are fine, just not the ones we spend most of our time around. Don't act like you enjoy going to those banquets and dinner parties. Everyone's so fake and one day someone is literally going to end up stabbed in the back.”

“You're being dramatic, Percy. None of them have enough of a spine to actually murder someone. They'll just have their assistant leak a sex tape or something.”

“Yes, much better.”

“Should I be worried my innocent eyes will be tainted by a sex tape featuring my own brother because he pissed someone off?”

“Don't be ridiculous. I don't have time to meet interesting people that'd I'd want to date. A sex tape is completely out of the question.”

“You had time to meet your handsome neighbor.”

“This again?” Even though he knew it would hurt, he let his head thunk against the headboard as he let out a heavy sigh. “So, I met the person living across from me. Why is that such a big deal to you?”

“You didn't disagree with me.”

“On?”

“I called him handsome.”

“For the love of… Fine. Why would I disagree with you when he is-in fact-a handsome man?”

“Really?”

“Stop with that tone. Yes, he's attractive. We've had all of two conversations and that's the extent of it.”

“What's he look like?”

Unlike his sister’s other questions, this one lacked the teasing tone and she had on that soft smile that always caused him to cave. “Long black hair. Down to his lower back. Pale skin. Brown eyes. I don't know, a face? He's… probably shorter than I am. It's hard to tell. We've only talked to each other through the windows. A lithe frame. I think he's a dancer. At least, he dances all the time.”

“You've only talked to each other from your windows?”

“The first time I was trying to sleep, but I couldn't because of the light coming from his window. He noticed me at mine when I was trying to figure out what it was. The second time he scared Keyleth and I with his faulty speaker and I wanted to be sure it wouldn't happen again.”

“Did you offer to fix it?”

“Of course, I did. He was just going to throw it out. It wasn't even a difficult fix.”

“Well, I assume he appreciated that.”

“I would think so.” His sister released an exasperated sigh, then turned to face him with a raised brow. “What?”

“You didn't hand it back to him?”

“It was a busy week and I didn't want him to have to wait longer because I didn't have the time to wait around for him.”

“Where did you leave it?”

“The window. People would see it by the front door, and I didn't want him or his sister to accidentally step on it.”

“You know, to get to know people, you have to talk to them. It's sweet of you to fix his speaker, but I'm sure he wanted to thank you for it. Maybe, offer to repay the favor somehow, like taking you to get coffee.”

“Cassie, I…”

“I know. Believe me, I know it's hard and I know it's even harder for you because you remember better than I do and people haven't been accepting of who you are in the past, but the whole world isn't against you. Maybe this guy doesn't end up being who you think he is. Maybe he's an asshole like the others, but you can't know unless you try. Just don't go in expecting this to be the one. Guard your heart, take it one step at a time and for goodness sake tell them the important stuff before you get in too deep. You're strong, Percy, and you need someone as strong as you are to have your back.”

“Why do you think I became such good friends with Keyleth?”

“She was a good choice.” After a few moments of silence, a hand reached up to gently brush a strand of hair out of his face. “You need a haircut.”

“Yes, ma'am.”

“Hush you. Happiness doesn't mean falling in love, but locking yourself away from people isn't the answer either. He might end up a good friend to you and that's it and there's nothing wrong with that. We need people we can trust to feel safe and secure and wanted. If you wanted something more though, I wouldn't say no to a brother-in-law, especially one with a sister.”

“You're getting a bit ahead of yourself there.”

“What? I'll need someone to tease you with.”

“That's not what I meant, and you know it.”

“I have no idea what you're talking about.”

The mischievous gleam in Cassie's eyes abruptly went out as her alarm tone filled the room. “Damn. I've got to go. The meeting-”

“I know. We'll see each other again soon. It's not like we live on opposite sides of the world.”

“And yet, we still hardly ever have time to spend together-just the two of us.”

“We're busy people, but we'll always make time for each other, right?”

“Right. I'll see you soon, Percy.”

“Let me walk you out.”

“I can make it to my car without getting lost. Plus, your neighbor's back. He is quite the dancer.”

While his head whipped around to look out the window and through the one across from his, the weight next to him on the bed disappeared. Unlike the other two times he saw Vax dance, this one appeared to be a choreographed number that he was in the processes of mastering. He glided beautifully across the room, then came to an abrupt halt with a twisted-up expression. After repeating the move and sudden stop several times, he collapsed to the floor in frustration.

On a whim, he grabbed a stray screw off his nightstand on his way to open the window and take a seat on the sill. The metal bounced off the glass without break it but caused a loud enough noise that Vax's head whipped up to investigate it. Frustration transformed into soft amusement when Vax's ,eyes landed on him.

He quickly crossed his room to open his own window. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“You looked like you could use a distraction. I thought I'd offer up my services.”

“Ah, you saw that.”

“It looked fine to me, but I'm no expert.”

“Experts don't typically have the nicest things to say, so I'll take the compliment.”

“In that case, you dance beautifully. My sister thought so as well.”

“If I knew I had an audience, I would have prepared better.” The tired smile on Vax's face turned a bit more genuine and his body relaxed against the side of his window frame. “Thanks for fixing my speaker. It works better than it did when I first bought it.”

“Yes, well, I might have altered a few inefficient design choices.”

“You didn't need to do that. You were already doing me a huge favor by fixing it.”

“I wanted to. It would've been a shame to leave it that way.”

“Hopefully it wasn't too much trouble.”

“Not at all.”

“Good.”

Despite his heart beating nervously in his chest, he didn't throw out an excuse to leave the conversation. “Are you practicing for something?”

“I was making the attempting, obviously it wasn't going so well.”

“Maybe, you just need a break away from it to relax and stop overthinking it.”

“Speaking for experience?”

“Very much so.”

“After all you've done for me, it'd be rude not to take your advice.” The sound of a muffled female voice drew Vax's attention to his door, then a loud knocking rattled it. “It appears I'm needed for something. It's been an absolute pleasure talking to you again. We'll need to do this again soon.”

“You know where to find me.”

“It'd be a shame if I didn't. Bye, Freddy.”

“Bye, Vax.”

* * *

 

There were few things he hated more than the feeling of being so sick he could hardly get out of bed long enough to handle his basic needs. Between the crippling pain in his abdomen and his nose stuffed so full he thought it'd burst off his face any second, he wanted nothing more than to pass out for a week and wake up better. If Keyleth weren't the nicest, most thoughtful person on the face of the planet, he probably would've done just that. Luckily, her concern for his well-being meant he wouldn't be a lazy mess for a week that made himself worse. At the very least, he'd be a hydrated and sort of fed lazy mess until he got better.

Despite the aching in his ribs, he rolled onto his side facing the window because he was tired of staring at his ceiling. The sounds of his television playing some action adventure flick in the background helped lull him closer to sleep. Of course, just as he cusped the edges of sleep something bright flashed in the distance. He cracked his eyes open with a groan to find Vax sluggishly moving around his room. Why hadn't he bothered to close his curtains before getting into bed?

The shadow of Vax moved around the room for a few minutes, then disappeared into a different door than the one he entered. Even though the light made it more difficult to fall asleep, he let his eyes slip shut rather than get up to remove the problem. His mind drifted from one thought to the next as he tried to relax his body enough to go to sleep. Naturally, a strange change in the light sent his mind whirling with the possibilities of who would be crossing between their windows in such a strange fashion. If he weren’t so out of it, it would’ve been obvious that Vax returned from wherever he disappeared off to.

Even the first time he saw Vax dancing, there had been an undeniable grace about the way his body moved. Whatever he was doing now completely lacked all grace and he hardly imagined anyone would consider those moves dancing. The longer he watched the crazier Vax’s moves became, until it looked like his entire body was spasming relentlessly. When it became clear he wouldn’t be stopping any time soon, he forced himself out of bed to open the window for some explanation for his headache inducing scene.

His movement out of the corner of Vax’s eye must have caught his attention because he immediately stopped what he was doing to join him at the window. “Hello there, Freddy. Are you sure you should be out of bed? You look ready to fall over.”

“It’s hard to sleep when there’s a strange man doing a weird ritual across from me.”

“Are you talking shit about my wonderful dancing skills? I’ll have you know I’ve trained for years to perfect my technique. Some might even call it flawless.”

“I’m pretty sure you threw all technique out the window when the spirit controlling your body decided to hijack your limbic system.”

“You’re too sick to be making such sophisticated jokes.” Vax’s teasing expression morphed into concern as he leaned dangerously far out of the window. “How are you feeling? Your roommate said you’ve been miserable all day.”

“You talked to Keyleth?”

“We passed each other in the hallway. She sounded worried about you.”

“Well, I’ve been better. Some sleep would probably help, but that’s difficult to come by when my head’s ready to explode.”

“Any idea what’s making you so miserable?”

“Illness?”

“That certainly narrows down the possibilities. I’m guessing that means you haven’t visited a doctor to get a checkup.”

“Who has the time for that?”

“Someone incredibly sick.”

A wave of lightheadedness washed over him causing him to lean heavily against the window frame to keep from falling forward. “Do I look that bad?”

“Would you prefer I lie to make you feel better or tell you the very brutal truth of your current condition?”

“It’s too late to hold back now. I probably won’t even remember what you said to me in the morning. I’m not entirely sure I’m actually talking to you right now. This might all be some weird dream I don’t realize I’m having because I don’t remember falling asleep in the first place. Does that make sense?”

“About as much sense as I’d expect someone this out of it to make. Are you sure you don’t need to go to a doctor or a hospital or intensive care?”

“It’ll pass. I think.”

“That’s not very reassuring, Freddy.” Vax swung his legs out of the window with a contemplative expression etched on his face. “When will your roommate be back?”

“Oh, Kiki said she’d be back in a few hours. She also told me not to get out of bed unless I absolutely had to, so don’t tell her about this or she’ll be very disappointed in me. I hate when she’s disappointed with me. She is simultaneous the nicest and most terrifying person I know. Have you ever gotten a disappointed look from someone like that? It’s horrible.”

“Yes, actually. My friend Pike frequently does so.”

“Kiki has a friend named Pike. From what she’s told me, she’s very nice.”

“Imagine that. If it’s that horrible, shouldn’t you get back into bed?”

“How do I know I’m not still in bed?”

“We’re starting to go in circles.”

“Both of us are sitting down.”

An unexpected laugh burst from Vax nearly causing him to drop off the windowsill and tumble to the ground below. If they weren’t on the first floor, he would’ve shown concern instead of laughing at the clear shock showing on Vax’s face. After seating himself more stably, Vax turned a glare to him that immediately got him to stop his laughter. He tried to put on an apologetic smile, but he probably appeared nothing short of pathetic.

“That was incredibly rude. It’s time for Percivals to go to sleep.”

“Please, don’t ever call me Percival again, and there’s only one Percival here.”

“You need sleep, Freddy. Go back to bed. Rest will help you get better.”

“Only because you asked so nicely.”

“There’s no need for such sass, Freddy. I’m only looking out for you. It wouldn’t benefit your health to pass out right there. It’s supposed to get cold tonight, and you could fall out. We wouldn’t want you to experience either of those things when you’re this sick.”

“I suppose you have a point.”

“It’s taken you this long to figure that out?” To his surprise, Vax vanished from the window, then quickly reappeared with something in his hand. “Obviously I only had the best intentions. This might help you sleep.”

“What is it?”

“A blanket.”

“A blanket?”

“Don’t you trust me, Freddy?”

“Of course.”

Something about Vax’s face softened after his words, but it disappeared as he tossed the blanket across to him. “It’ll help you get some sleep. A good night’s sleep. Make sure you shut your window before you go to bed.”

“Thanks, Vax.”

“Don’t mention it and wash that blanket before you give it back. I don’t want to get Freddy cooties.”

“It’s rude to make fun of someone when they’re sick.”

“Good night.”

* * *

 

The words on the page began to swirl into a mess of letters that didn’t make the slightest bit of sense to him. Rubbing at his eyes did nothing to alleviate the building pressure behind them, so he snapped his laptop shut and leaned back in his chair. He tipped his head back to stare at the ceiling to give his eyes a break from having to focus on something. When the pressure finally lessened, he sat back up to check the clock on his phone.

“Fuck!” He dug the palms of his hands into his eyes with an exaggerated groan. “There’s no way I’m finishing this by the morning. Who the hell told this person it was a good idea to make a report this long? I’m going to kill Cass. She definitely knew about this.”

Without a care for where the papers would land, he shoved them away as he rose from his chair-stretching his legs for the first time in hours. After doing a few laps around his room to get his blood flowing, his legs carried him to his window. Once he opened the window, it took a few minutes to find the perfect spot for him to comfortably settle down. His spot gave him the perfect view of Vax performing a complicated routine the best he could in the cramped space of his bedroom.

It didn’t surprise him in the slightest when Vax ended up slamming a leg into his bedframe with so much force the whole thing shook. Immediately, he dropped to the rocking mattress, then promptly fell to the floor because of the motion. When he popped back up, his eyes went straight for the window. Despite the pain he must be in, Vax limped over to it and collapsed against the side after he opened it.

“Did you see that impressive display of grace? There’s more of that to come if you ever go to one of my performances. The reviews for them are always fantastic. Reporters are falling all of themselves to get an interview with me. You’re lucky to know me.”

“If you say so. I would very much like to go to one of your performances one day, but that would mean you’d have to tell me when one is. Although, I have a feeling I’ll much prefer these private performances.”

“Is that so? I’ll have to come up with a special performance just for you. I wouldn’t want my favorite neighbor to feel unappreciated or get bored.”

“Don’t say it like that.”

“How else would I say it, Freddy?” An exaggerated flutter of his eyelashes caused Vax to look like something got in his eyes and he couldn’t get it out. “Is there something wrong with the way I say things? Do I offend you?”

“Stop being ridiculous.”

“That’s very rude. I’m just trying to be myself and you’re putting me down. My sister warned me against befriending people like you. She said I’m special and no one else can say otherwise.”

“You’re very special, Vax. No one could deny that.”

“For some reason, I don’t think you’re being sincere, but I’ll pretend that I do for the sake of our friendship. That’s how much I value what we have, Freddy.”

“It’s good to know you think of our window conversations so highly. I think most people would’ve gotten annoyed by it at this point.”

Vax shrugged his elegant shoulders with a little smirk on his face that caused his heart to thump a little faster in his chest. “There’s something… quaint about this. It’s very teen romance novel. I feel like I’m living out something I never got to in my youth. If only our parents disapproved of us talking to each other, that would really make this perfect.”

“Well, that’s certainly one way of looking at it. I can’t say I ever wanted to live out a teen romance novel. Too much drama for me. I have enough of that in my daily life. I’d rather not extend it to my romantic affairs.”

“How mysterious. What could possibly cause so much drama in your daily life? You do seem quite busy all the time. It’s a wonder you have time for sleep.”

“I don’t always. It’s a bad habit. I’m trying to be better about it, but things sort of stack up and get out of control. It can be hard to find enough time to sleep-or the peace of mind to do it.”

“You don’t strike me as the kind of person that rests easily.”

“What gave that away?”

“Something about your demeanor.” A hand twirled a lock of hair thoughtfully around and around as Vax spoke. “You give off an air of being very well put together, but there’s something underneath that seems more… frayed.”

“I didn’t realize I was so easy to read.”

“Don’t worry, you’re not. I’ve just had a lot of practice.”

“Sounds like I’m not the only one frayed beneath the put together exterior.”

“Aren’t we a pair?”

They fell into a comfortable silence only broken by the sound of owls hooting and crickets chirping in the grass nearby. When the breeze kicked up, he pulled his cardigan a bit tighter around his body to keep the cold air from reaching him. Despite his exposed skin, Vax let his leg swing slowly outside the window and one arm dangled out. He looked completely at peace with his eyes half closed and his body utterly relaxed. It made his fingers itch for the sketch pad he kept in his bedside table, but it’d been years since he drew something that wasn’t a schematic for a new project.

“I can hear you overthinking all the way over hear. What’s on your mind, Freddy?”

“Nothing important.”

“If it’s making you this moody, it must be important.”

“I’m not moody.”

“You’re brooding, like Batman levels of brooding. I thought we were having a nice chat. Why the sudden change?”

“Do you always talk people into getting what you want out of them?”

“That depends, is it working on you?” The smirk on Vax’s face looked more amused than smug, but that didn’t stop the embarrassment from slowly heating up his face. “Cat got your tongue?”

“Have you considered getting into politics or law? You do have a knack for persuasion.”

“Can’t say I have. I don’t have much of an interest in either of those things. That being said, I haven’t forgotten what we were talking about. You’re quite a good talker yourself. What’s on your mind?”

“You’re very persistent.”

“You are very stubborn, but I have all night. Talk to me, Freddy.”

“It’s not really something that requires talking.”

“What does that mean?”

He tapped his finger thoughtfully against his thigh, then abruptly stood up to retrieve his sketch pad and pencil that he held up to Vax upon returning to the window. “It’s…”

“A sketch book?”

“Yes. It’s been a while since I’ve drawn something other than schematics.”

“But you’re in the mood to?”

“It’d come out horrible.”

“Who care? No one else has to see it. Even if it is horrible, no one will be able to judge you for it.”

“It would still be a waste of time. I could work on something else, like the report I’m supposed to have read by tomorrow.”

“Fuck the report. Stop making excuse and have little fun. Draw a horrible picture. I could use some art to decorate my room. It’s very bland looking.”

“I thought you said no one would see it.”

“Obviously, I’m the exception.” A smile that could light up a room stretched across Vax’s face and he sent a wink his way.

“Why is that?”

“You wound me. As your muse, I think I’m the clear exception to the rule.”

“Who said anything about being my muse?”

“Did you plan to draw something else?”

His mouth opened and closed several times, then he threw his pencil right at Vax’s head. He ducked before it could hit him and stuck his tongue out when he popped back up. “Bold of you to assume I’d draw you.”

“That’d be more impactful if I wasn’t right. I think it’s only fair I get to see the finished product to apologize for throwing that at me.”

“How am I going to draw now? I don’t have anything to draw with.”

“I find it hard to believe you don’t have other pencils in your room.” Despite his words, Vax hopped off his windowsill to retrieve the pencil from the grass and tossed it back at him. “Now, you don’t have any excuses.”

“Fine. Can you sit the way you were before and just relax?”

“For you? Of course.”

“It’ll take a while.”

“I have all night, Freddy.”

“So you said.”

“It seems you need the reminder.”

“I suppose it doesn’t hurt.”

* * *

 

“Hey!” A sudden loud voice surprised him into turning around to face a woman that looked almost identical to Vax. “You’re Percy, right?”

“Yes, and you’re Vex.”

“It’s nice to finally meet you. I wish it were under better circumstances, but we’re both busy people and we don’t share a window.”

“Better circumstances?”

Tension tightened up Vex’s shoulders, then she released a heavy sigh and pinched her eyebrows together. “Something happened during training today. Vax ended up breaking his ankle, so he won’t be able to perform for a while and he had a few major performances coming up. Understandably, he’s not taking it well, and he’s in a lot of pain. I’ve tried to cheer him up, but there’s not much I can say or do to make him feel better.”

“That’s terrible. He’s been working so hard.”

“I know. Believe me, I know. This might sound strange, but I’m at the end of my rope and there’s no one else I can think of that might be able to help. Can you-I don’t know-talk to him or… something? I don’t know what the two of you talk about because Vax treats your friendship like a secret between the two of you.”

“I didn’t realize-”

“It’s my brother’s business. We share almost everything, but we need things for ourselves. It’s been a long time since Vax found someone he could talk to so easily. I’m grateful he has you.”

“I feel the same.” After a slight hesitation, Vex placed her hand on his shoulder to pull him in for a quick hug that bordered on too tight. “I’ll see what I can do. I doubt I’ll be able to do much, but I don’t… I won’t…”

“I know. Thank you, Percy. I’m sorry to ask this of you and run. I left his window unlocked. He won’t be able to open it himself.”

“Thanks, Vex.”

“Don’t thank me. You’re the one helping me. I hate to see him this upset. I’ll take you out to dinner some time as a thank you.”

“You don’t-”

“It wasn’t a question. Plus, it’s about time the two of you spent time together outside of your bedrooms. See you later, Percy.”

“Bye, Vex.”

He stood in the hallway for several seconds watching Vex get smaller and smaller as what just happened sunk in. When the conversation finally clicked, he hurried to unlock his door and rushed to his bedroom to open the window. From where he stood, he could make out a Vax shaped lumped in his bed with his face pointed up at the ceiling and his comforter pulled up to his chin. Flashes of light from his television sporadically fell across him but didn’t provide a clear enough view to see his face.

Uncertainty washed through him as he looked through the two barriers separating them from each other. Unless Vax decided to look his way, he wouldn’t be able to get his attention without opening Vax’s window sans permission. The thought of doing so felt like breaking Vax’s trust, which meant he’d have to come up with some other way to get his attention. A lightbulb suddenly flicked on, so he tossed his stuff aside and quickly changed into something more comfortable. Once he was sure he wouldn’t trip over anything, he grabbed his phone and a pair of headphones.

It took him much longer than necessary to settle on a song, but he needed time to psych himself up to what he was about to do. With the familiar beats of an 80’s pop song playing through his headphones, he began to dance around his room. Unlike Vax, he completely lacked any grace and didn’t have any knowledge of dancing beyond the formal training he got forced into as a child. His moves were jerky, and he probably looked like a complete idiot. He didn’t even want to think about what his sister would say if she saw him.

As the song came to an end, he checked in the window across from his to find Vax looking at him with a highly amused expression. While he managed to prop himself up somehow, the position still seemed to be causing his body significant stress. On his way to the window, he tossed his phone and headphones onto the bed, so Vax would have his full attention. After opening his own window, he climbed out of it and motioned for permission to open Vax’s. A tried shrug came from him, then he flopped back on his bed as he worked on sliding the window open.

Climbing into the opening proved to be much more difficult than he remembered it being when he was younger, which meant he ended up faceplanting on floor. “Hey, Vax.”

“Are you alright down there? I suppose I have my sister to thank for that.”

“She thought I might be able to… I don’t know. How are you feeling?”

“Well, I’ve fucked up my ankle bad enough everything I’ve been working on is going to amount to nothing, so I can’t say I’m doing good.”

“I meant more how you’re physically feeling, like if you’re in pain or something like that.”

“I can’t believe you care more for my physical well-being than my emotional well-being. It’s nice to know I’m just a meat sack to you.”

“Please, don’t ever refer to yourself as a meat sack again. It’s not that I’m not concerned for your emotional well-being. I might be able to help get you something for the pain, but there’s nothing I can do to make the fact you won’t be able to perform better.”

“Did you know this is the first time we’ve been in the same room together? We’ve known each other for how long?” A grimace appeared on Vax’s face as he shifted slightly in his bed and he quickly shook his head when he moved to help. “You’re more help than you know, Freddy. I needed a good distraction. I’d call what you just did a pretty good distraction.”

“I can go do it again if it’ll make you feel better.”

“I’d rather you stay here and use that smart mouth of yours to distract me.”

“If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were flirting with me.”

“Maybe you don’t know me as well as you think.”

He picked nervously at the edge of the blanket hanging over the edge of Vax’s bed, then slid his hand up it to take Vax’s relaxed one in his own. “Are you in any pain?”

“It’s not too bad.”

“Good. That’s good. Would you… Once you’re feeling up to it, would you consider going out for coffee or dinner or something?”

“That depends.”

“On?”

“Whether it’s a date or not.”

Despite attempting to read Vax’s face, he couldn’t tell which one he wanted to hear, so he went with the truth. “My intent is for it to be a date.”

“In that case, I’d love to go out for coffee or dinner or something. Until then, would you mind keeping me company. At least for tonight. You can put on whatever you want. I’ll probably end up passing out, but I’d appreciate it if you stuck around for a bit.”

“I need to get a few things, but I’ll stay as long as you’d like.”

“That’s a very bold statement, Freddy. What if I asked you to stay forever?”

“Forever doesn’t seem so bad. At the very least, we’ll keep each other entertained. Maybe, you could teach me how to dance and I’ll teach you something significantly less interesting.”

“I hate to say this, but I don’t think I’ll be able to teach you. I’m normally of the mind that anyone can learn to dance, but you…”

“You know, I can still take back my offer. I’ve had to deal with some very annoying people today. A little solitude is starting to sound very nice.”

“Liar.” The hand in his shifted to play with their now intertwined fingers causing a soft smile to appear on Vax’s face. “Go get your stuff, and a shower. You’re not getting in my bed until you’re clean.”

“In your bed?”

“Do you see somewhere else to sit? I don’t exactly have many guests over and I value the space over multiple seating options. It’s not a big deal. I can’t even do anything. I’m injured, remember?”

“For some reason, I don’t think that would stop you if you really wanted to.”

“Maybe not, but it’s a bit soon for that. Now, will you hurry your ass up? I’d like to get comfortable with my new body pillow.”

“I knew you had an ulterior motive.”

“I’d feel bad about it if you actually sounded annoyed. Will you, please, hurry up? Do you hear that? I asked nicely and everything.”

“That requires you let go of my hand.”

As soon as Vax let go of his hand, he lightly flicked him on the forehead and stuck out his tongue. “Asshole.”

“It takes one to know one, darling.”

“Freddy?”

“I thought you wanted me to hurry up?”

“Would you come here?” Vax motioned for him to bend down, then pushed himself up when he got close enough to kiss him on the cheek. “Thank you for doing this. I, uh-”

“There’s no need to thank me. I hate that this happened to you. I wish I could do something to change it, but I can’t. So, I’ll do this and hope it’s enough.”

“It’s more than enough.”

“How about you wait to decide that after we’ve spent a couple of hours together? You might get annoyed with me.”

“Doubtful. I haven’t gotten annoyed with you yet.”

“The key word being yet.”

“Stop that. I plan on keeping you around as long as you let me. Talking to you has been the best part of my day recently. Somehow, you ground me without even meaning to.”

Not knowing what else to say, he gently brushed Vax’s hair out of his face and dropped his forehead down to rest against his. From so close, he could easily see tears slowly building in the corners of Vax’s eyes. A shaky breath worked its way out of Vax’s body that boarded on a sob, but he still didn’t shed a single tear. The hand still laced through Vax’s long hair slowly stroked through the glossy strands several times in the hopes it would calm him down. When the signs of crying began to fade, the tension he didn’t realize built in his own body started to settle.

“See, you’re definitely not annoying. In fact, I think you’re pretty great.”

“I’m going to go shower and grab my stuff, then I’m going to order us food that’s terrible for us and we’ll spend the rest of the night relaxing. How does that sound?”

“Better than you can imagine, Freddy.”

“Then I’ll be right back. Don’t go anywhere.”

“Very funny.”

“That’s what you keep me around for.”

“Something like that.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Comments and kudos always greatly appreciated. You can find me on Tumblr ([SociallyAwkwardFoxWriter](http://sociallyawkwardfoxwriter.tumblr.com/)).


End file.
